‘State of emergency’ declared in Ethiopia as protest death toll rises

The Ethiopia Hotel in Gondar, in the Amhara region in the north of the country - scene of many of the protests, which have also started targeting foreign-backed investments. Photographed in February 2016. [Matt Tempest]

The Ethiopian government on Sunday (10 October) declared a state of emergency, following a year-long spate of unrest which spiked in a week of deaths and attacks on buildings and foreign companies.

Demands by the Oromo and Amhara people for better representation in the government in Addis Ababa have left around 500 dead since November 2015, according to independent observers such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The country of around 100m in the Horn of Africa is a military ally of the West, and major recipient of EU aid and the recent ‘Emergency Trust Fund for Africa’, aimed at discouraging migration to Europe.

No monies from the EU’s flagship Emergency Trust Fund (ETF) for Africa goes to the Ethiopian government or its agencies, the Commission stressed yesterday (6 September), as human rights groups say more than 400 people have been killed in clashes with the government.

In a televised address on Sunday morning, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the state of emergency was declared because there has been “enormous” damage to property.

“We put our citizens’ safety first. Besides, we want to put an end to the damage that is being carried out against infrastructure projects, education institutions, health centers, administration and justice buildings,” said Desalegn on the state Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation.

“The recent developments in Ethiopia have put the integrity of the nation at risk,” he said.

“The state of emergency will not breach basic human rights enshrined under the Ethiopian constitution and won’t also affect diplomatic rights listed under the Vienna Convention,” said Desalegn.

euractiv.com last week interviewed the Ethiopian Ambassador to the EU, to put specifically to him questions about both the death toll, and the grievances of the Oromia and Amhara regions.

Ethiopia is a secure, stable country in the Horn of Africa, says Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the EU, Teshome Toga. However, he admits “gaps” in governance have fuelled year-long protests that have left hundreds dead.

Ambassador Teshome Toga acknowledged “gaps” in governance and economic progress for those regions, but also blamed “anti-peace elements” for hijacking the protests, and social media for organising “illegal” protests.

Asked today (10 October), if the EU Commission – ultimately in charge of both the aid budget through DG Devco, and creator of the Emergency Trust Fund – was “concerned” about the situation in Ethiopia, a spokeswoman told EURACTIV “Fundamental human rights must be respected at all times. The suspension of political and democratic rights should be avoided.

“Violence, whichever side it comes from, has no place in this endeavour. Now it is time for all forces, inside and outside Ethiopia, to restore calm and join in ensuring that Ethiopia can pursue the path of democracy and development.”

The government has blocked the internet for more than a week to prevent protesters from using social media to get supporters to attend demonstrations.

Some 50 people were killed on October 2 in a stampede triggered when police fired teargas and bullets to disperse protestors at the annual Irrecha thanksgiving celebration in Bishoftu town. Some reports put the death toll much higher.

An American woman was killed last week when she was hit by a rock thrown by protesters. Some businesses have been targeted because of suspected links to the government, which is promoting Ethiopia as one of Africa’s top-performing economies.

The state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate said the attacks on factories in Sebeta town on the outskirts of the capital, Addis Ababa, affected more than 40,000 workers. Textile, plastic, cement and bottled-water factories have been targeted.

Anti-government protests continued Sunday. Many roads into and out of the capital, Addis Ababa, are blocked by protesters.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due in Addis Ababa this week as part of her trip to Africa, with a meeting scheduled with the African Union, which is headquartered in the capital.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will embark on Sunday (9 October) on a visit to three African countries before hosting leaders from Chad and Nigeria for talks in Berlin, as she seeks ways to stem a migrant influx to Europe.

Further Reading

Ethiopia is being hit hard by one the most severe El Niño phenomenon on record. Numbers speak for themselves – in the past year, the number of food insecure people has increased from 2.9 million to over 10 million at present, write Neven Mimica and Christos Stylianides.